Sean Shields ended his loan spell at Clarence Park in dramatic fashion on Saturday by firing in the goal that handed visitors Havant & Waterlooville a first away defeat for three months, and ended the Saints run of three consecutive home Conference South defeats.
Shields heads back to Dagenham & Redbridge on Monday but there could have been no better way for the Northern Ireland Under-21 international to end his time with the Saints.
After a run of indifferent results City could have been excused for being cagey against a Havant side seeking promotion, but to their credit St Albans took the game to Lee Bradbury’s side with several early chances being created.
The Hawks strength was in keeping possession and passing the ball around, but with most of this being done along the backline, or just in front of it, little threat was made to the home goal.
Havant were unchanged from the side that defeated Weston-super-Mare the previous weekend, while City brought in Joel Nouble for the ill Charlie Gorman.
City’s positive start saw Sam Corcoran force visiting keeper Ryan Young to concede a corner inside two minutes.
Charlie Smith’s corner landed in a crowded penalty area and deflected to the free John Frendo who looked certain to score from inside the six yard box.
Somehow Young, almost unknowingly, forced Frendo’s shot wide of the goal when waving his left hand in its general direction.
Havant’s first serious threat on the home goal took 26 minutes to arrive but so nearly brought a goal.
Josh Huggins challenged for the all and nudged it onto Jonathan Hooper who ran at Ian Gayle before unleashing a rising shot that Joe Welch did well to tip over the apex of upright and crossbar.
A clear chance went begging a minute later when, from a Ben Swallow cross on the Hawks right, Huggins, having drifted away for Corcoran, headed wide from just a handful of paces from the goal.
James Comley, keen to catch the eye of the watching England C manager Paul Fairclough and add to his one international cap, went on a long run through the Havant midfield before touching the ball to Frendo.
The striker slipped the ball wide to Smith and from his low return ball from the left Frendo, inexplicably, fired over the Hatfield Road goal.
As the action moved swiftly to the opposite end of the pitch Alan Connell and Hooper worked the ball across to Huggins.
The former Farnborough player hammered the ball from an angle into the heart of the goalmouth where Connell just failed to get a touch and the ball thudded away to safety off the foot of the back post.
Young did extremely well to hold a fierce drive from Corcoran from 25 yards that flew through a crowd of players after Warren Cummings had headed away a Smith corner.
Smith showed his undoubted class when embarking on a piercing run that saw him sail past right-back Dan Strugnall and cross low to Frendo whose first time shot was well beaten away by Young. Smith was quickly onto the loose ball but shot into the side netting.
A spell of Havant pressure saw Donnelly have a shot charged down with Strugnall sending a powerful half volley dipping just over the home goal.
The opening 45 minutes had been intriguing throughout with no lack of controlled passing football, but the second half became increasing scrappy and a draw seemed to the inevitable outcome.
City almost contributed to their own downfall on 50 minutes when a Ben Martin free kick went straight to the opposition and with a lofted pass over the home defence Donnelly sent Hooper clear.
Chappell gave chase while Hooper tried his luck from 18 yards but put the ball comfortably wide.
As with the first half, City were content to let Havant play the ball around deep inside their own and then be hounded out of possession when moving forward, while the City defence denied the Hawks a single on-target shot after the break.
The point was never better illustrated than when Bradley Bubb looked set to race clear but was thwarted by a superbly timed tackle by City skipper Ben Martin, it was a repeat of a similar intervention by Gayle earlier in the half.
A half chance came Havant’s way when a well-placed corner was met on the half-volley outside the penalty area by Brian Stock but his shot went several yards wide.
As the game wore on City offered an increased threat down the flanks through substitutes Steve Wales and Shields.
City sliced their way through the Hawks backline with their slickest move of the match.
Comley fed Frendo before the striker darted forward to collect Shields return pass only to shoot too softly to the right of Young , who got down to save.
City were not so lenient the next time they moved forward and struck a classic counter-attacking goal.
Gayle broke up a Havant attack with his clearance being helped on by Frendo to Wales just inside the Havant half.
Moving beyond the mild challenge offered by Ed Harris, Wales chipped the ball across the penalty area to Shields.
Bringing the ball down on his right foot Shields switched it to his left with which he, as Strugnall dived in, arrowed the winning goal to the left of the startled Young.
It was Shields fifth goal during his 15 games on loan from Dagenham, and his 21st in 107 games overall for the Saints. It was also was sufficient to extend City’s good record against Havant to just two reversals in 13 league encounters.
On a day when not a single Conference South match resulted in an away win, City’s victory keeps the side in ninth place. |
